Associate Director, Business Development

About the Milken Institute

The Milken Institute is a globally minded, publicly supported, non-partisan, and nonprofit think tank headquartered in Santa Monica, with offices in Washington, DC, New York, London, Abu Dhabi, and Singapore. For the past three decades, the Milken Institute has served as a catalyst for practical, scalable solutions to global challenges by connecting human, financial, and educational resources to those who need them. Guided by a conviction that the best ideas, under-resourced, cannot succeed, we conduct research and analysis and convene top experts, innovators, and influencers from different backgrounds and competing viewpoints. We leverage this expertise and insight to construct programs and policy initiatives. These activities are designed to help people build meaningful lives, in which they can experience health and well-being, pursue effective education and gainful employment, and access the resources required to create ever-expanding opportunities for themselves and their broader communities.

The Milken Institute’s events and programmatic activities, involve the exchange of ideas with leaders from around the world. The Institute hosts more than 200 events each year, with our annual flagship event, Global Conference, bringing together 4,500 participants from around the world, featuring more than 900 speakers throughout 200 sessions over the course of the event.

About the Center for Advancing the American Dream

The Milken Center for Advancing the American Dream (MCAAD) at the Milken Institute (MI) is seeking a passionate and detail-oriented advancement professional to join our team as Associate Director for Business Development. This position will provide critical support for the MCAAD Business Development team and provide key connection to the MCAAD Partnerships and Special Events teams, while liaising with the MI Business Development team and other executive teams across the Institute.

MCAAD, the most recent center within the Institute, is catalyzing this work by building a new type of cultural center in the heart of Washington, DC. MCAAD celebrates the ideal of the American Dream and explores the ongoing challenges people face in pursuing opportunity, through exhibitions, programs and educational programs. To accomplish this, we focus on four pillars of the American Dream: access to education, public health, finance, and an entrepreneurial mindset. MCAAD’s physical home, with a planned opening in early 2025, is a remarkable renovation of several 120-year-old historic bank buildings, including Riggs Bank, known as the “Bank of Presidents.” The Center’s main halls are in the National Register of Historic Places, and our stewardship of the property—along with adjacent buildings on 15th St NW—will showcase and recognize the history of these buildings while adapting them for use as a modern cultural center with immersive exhibit galleries. There will also be a state-of-the-art theater, events and lecture spaces, a holodeck, shop, and an atrium with café. The six-building complex features nearly 300,000 square feet of space will also include a conference center, recording and broadcast studios, and the Washington, D.C., headquarters of five centers of the Milken Institute.

About the Position

WE are a dynamic, collaborative, and motivated team working to reopen the soaring halls of the Riggs Bank buildings as a place to imagine, explore, and expand the American Dream.

YOU are an experienced advancement professional with a passion for working with people and a knack for problem solving. You are skilled at organizing, coordinating, and communicating the multiple facets of stakeholder management.

As we near the opening of MCAAD, we are experiencing a tremendous surge of interest in the Center, including a rapidly growing number of donors who are eager to support the Center’s growth and its future content and programming. Reporting to the MCAAD Senior Director of Business Development, the Associate Director will provide critical functions to support our small but ambitious BD team. In addition to donor research and information synthesis, the Associate Director will also act as a connector between key departments within the organization including the Institute’s BD team, the Founder’s office, and others.

Responsibilities

Donor and Stakeholder Coordination

• Serve as primary stewardship lead for MCAAD founders and donors, ensuring all gift agreements are fulfilled and relationships management plans are strategically executed.
• Lead tours and meetings for donors and prospective donors.
• Lead tracking and management of MCAAD pipeline of potential partners and donors in Salesforce.
• Serve as “concierge” to MCAAD Founders Circle, coordinating use of Founders Floor and other donor plans while liaising with special events team for additional activities.
• Develops and creates personalized proposals for prospective ad current donors, thinking holistically about philanthropic opportunities including endowment, planned giving, and programmatic support.

Internal Communication

• Work with cross-departmental and external teams and stakeholders to ensure donor obligations are communicated and met.
• Support stewardship planning through research, Salesforce data, and internal coordination.
• Help to liaise on event planning and coordination efforts as it relates to donor commitments and participation.

Administrative and Project Management

• Manage scheduling and administrative support for BD and Partnerships teams.
• Support donor meetings and events including briefing materials for leadership, preparing documents and presentations, greeting and escorting guests, and taking notes and next actions.
• Acts as a project manager for Business Development projects including events, tours, meetings, and related requests.
• Duties as assigned.

Requirements

• The ideal candidate has a healthy sense of humor, is quick on their feet, and thrives in a highly collaborative environment while taking ownership of own duties.
• Must have 5 years of experience in an advancement or stakeholder engagement role in a public institution or non-profit environment, with 3 years of management/leadership experience.
• Knowledge of best practices for stakeholder engagement and experience working with donor management software.
• Knowledge of administrative and management principles and procedures, and evaluative techniques to coordinate functional operations.
• Excellent written and communication skills, as well as the ability to organize anything.
• Ability to communicate effectively when communicating to employees at all levels and external audiences when representing the organization at events.
• The ability to quickly develop positive working relationships, support colleagues, be flexible, and thrive in a fast-paced, creative environment is a must.
A 4-year college degree is required.

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Working Conditions & Travel Requirements

Note

The statements herein are intended to describe the overall nature and level of work being performed by employees and are not to be construed as an exhaustive list of responsibilities, duties, and skills required of personnel so classified. Furthermore, they do not establish a contract for employment and are subject to change at the discretion of the employer.

We are interested in qualified candidates who are eligible to work in the United States. Please note, we are not sponsoring visas at this time, being authorized to work in the U.S. is a precondition of employment.

Please submit resume and cover letter illustrating how your experience and skills will contribute to the department and any unique qualities you bring to the position. If applying via really, please upload your resume and any supporting documentation as one attachment. Any application that does not include both a resume and cover letter will be rejected. If you are unable to complete this application due to a disability, contact our Human Resources department to ask for an accommodation or an alternative application process.

Our Culture

The Milken Institute is proud to provide equal employment opportunities to all employees and qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national or ethnic origin, age, disability or status as a veteran.

Every person at the Milken Institute is treated with respect, supported with resources and training, and exposed to a broad range of experiences. We foster a space for growth with opportunities to share knowledge and passion with both clients and colleagues. We are committed to building a diverse workforce and creating an inclusive environment where everyone can thrive. Our leadership is actively involved in our commitment to diversity and inclusion, and fostering a culture that creates opportunities for everyone.

Benefits

• Health Care Plan (Medical, Dental & Vision)
• Retirement Plan - 403b (5% match)
• Life Insurance (Basic, Voluntary & AD&D)
• Paid Time Off (Personal, Vacation, Sick & Public Holidays)
• Family Leave (Maternity & Paternity)
• Fertility Support
• Short-Term & Long-Term Disability
• Flexible Spending Account (FSAs)
• Pet Insurance Discount
• Training & Development:
• LinkedIn Learning – over 15,000 self-guided classes offered
• Annual Mentor Program
• Wellness Resources:
• Employee Assistance Program
• CALM app membership